Federal Judge Rejects Trump Administration's Politically Motivated Lawsuit Against Harvard
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Judge Richard G. Stearns dismissed a baseless lawsuit from the Trump administration, which attempted to weaponize civil rights law against Harvard University by alleging antisemitism. The court found no ongoing violation, exposing the administration's efforts to intimidate academic institutions.
A Boston federal judge on Thursday decisively threw out a lawsuit filed by the Trump administration, which had accused Harvard University of ignoring harassment of Jewish students. Judge Richard G. Stearns found that the government failed to demonstrate any persistent violation of federal civil-rights law, calling the incidents cited in the complaint 'too isolated and episodic' to justify such drastic federal intervention.
The case, filed in March, was largely based on events from the 2023-24 academic year and a handful from March 2025. The Trump administration, continuing its pattern of targeting higher education, sought to claw back billions of dollars in federal research grants awarded to Harvard since October 2023 by invoking Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
'We disagree with the ruling and are assessing next steps,' said Harmeet Dhillon, assistant attorney general for civil rights at the Department of Justice, signaling the administration's ongoing campaign against academic freedom.
Harvard did not immediately comment on the decision. In previous statements, the university reaffirmed its commitment to the Jewish and Israeli community, emphasizing efforts to foster a respectful and inclusive campus. President Alan M. Garber highlighted the creation of a task force to address antisemitism, the hiring of new senior administrators, and the revision of discipline policies to ensure fairness and effectiveness.
This lawsuit is just one in a series of politically charged actions the Trump administration has taken against Harvard after the university refused to comply with a list of White House demands. Previous litigation saw a judge order the administration to reverse over $2.6 billion in funding cuts, finding that the White House had imposed unconstitutional conditions on federal aid in an attempt to punish dissent.